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In the past two weeks alone, Montana's chief federal judge, Richard Cebull, e-mailed around a coarsely racist joke about President Obama, and talk radio host Rush Limbaugh called a Georgetown University law student a "slut" and a "prostitute" for advocating that her school's health plan cover contraception.

This is the sort of verbal ingenuity you'd expect to hear in a locker room full of 14-year-old boys, but that demeans 14-year-old boys. What's most revealing is how the various offenders, and associates, have dealt with the fallout from their words and actions.

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Cebull admitted the joke is racist but denied that he is, explaining that he sent it because he's "anti-Obama." This, mind you, is the defense mounted by a judge with a lifetime appointment who's supposed to be setting the standard for other federal judges in Montana and at least feigning impartiality and judicial temperament.

At least Cebull apologized in a letter to Obama. Limbaugh — after compounding his initial blunder by calling on the law student to post sex videos — belatedly apologized on air only after advertisers began fleeing his show.

Schultz apologized to Ingraham and was suspended for a week. Maher denies he has to apologize because, unlike Limbaugh, his show on HBO has no advertisers. Maher isn't as influential among Democrats as Limbaugh is with Republicans, but he just announced he's giving $1 million to a Super PAC that supports Obama. The Super PAC should say thanks, but no thanks.

As disappointing as what these men said is how few people called them out for it at a time when the nation's political discourse is so bitter and polarized that it's poisoning the process of finding solutions to the country's most critical problems.

In Montana, top officials were silent or tepid until Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., told us through a spokesperson that Cebull's actions imply "racism and sexism (and show) poor judgment."

The Republican presidential candidates have been so timid that conservative columnist George Will concluded that they are "afraid" of Limbaugh. All front-runner Mitt Romney could say was that Limbaugh's "was not the language I would have used." What a missed opportunity to make a stand for decency.

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